Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs – in the Senedd at 2:27 pm on 16 December 2020.
I absolutely recognise that we are in a very difficult period of time, but that, unfortunately, I think, is going to last for a little while later. You will be very well aware that I committed to bring forward this White Paper before the end of the year, and I'm sure you would have been the first to criticise me if I hadn't done that. So, I have to say, I haven't heard from any quarters, apart from what you've just raised with me, about it being the wrong time to consult. Everybody has known this White Paper is coming before the end of the year. I think it was back—if it wasn't the summer, it was certainly the autumn that I promised to do that before the end of the calendar year. So, nobody will be surprised that we have brought this forward. The consultation is open to 25 March; I hope to hear as many views as possible on the White Paper. And I think stakeholders recognise that we're in a middle of a climate emergency as well, whilst, of course, we're in the middle of a pandemic. That climate emergency is here as well, and I know that the agricultural sector, in particular, feels they are part of the solution to that climate emergency, and I would be very keen to hear their views on how they will continue to respond to that.